On the night of July 7, 1770, after the discovery of the Turkish fleet under the command of Kapudan Pasha Hasan Bey, the Russian squadron led by Count Alexei Orlov and Admiral Grigory Spiridov—consisting of nine ships of the line, three frigates, one bomb vessel, and 17 small craft—attacked and destroyed the flagship of the Turkish fleet. The Turkish ships withdrew into Chesme Bay and were blockaded there by Russian ships.
The victory of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Chesme had a major impact on the дальнейший course of the Russo-Turkish War. Thanks to this victory, the Russian fleet seriously disrupted Turkish communications in the Archipelago and established an effective blockade of the Dardanelles.
In memory of the Chesme victory, a medal was struck, which was awarded to all participants of the battle.
Count Orlov was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st class, and received an honorary addition to his surname—Chesmensky. Admiral Spiridov received the highest order of the Russian Empire—the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
In honor of this victory, in 1775 the Chesme Obelisk was erected in Gatchina, and in 1778 the Chesme Column was erected in Tsarskoye Selo.
In St. Petersburg, the Chesme Palace was built in 1774–1777, and the Chesme Church in 1777–1778. And in 2012, in accordance with the Federal Law "On Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Russia", a new commemorative date was established in our country—the Day of Military Glory—the Day of Victory of the Russian Fleet over the Turkish Fleet in the Battle of Chesme in 1770.